


Solitaire

by Goldielochs



Category: Lore Olympus (Webcomic)
Genre: Drama & Romance, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fire, Mutual Pining, Mystery, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-12
Updated: 2020-03-23
Packaged: 2020-08-19 16:24:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 19,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20212756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Goldielochs/pseuds/Goldielochs
Summary: While on the outside looking in, things might look like Persephone's life derailed. But she's exactly where she wants to be.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Trying shorter chapters because my writing time is VERY limited but I miss writing! So that means, more fanfic for you . . . and. . . more cliff hangers. hehehe  
Thank you for reading.  
xoxo Goldie

Water poured from the kitchen faucet into the ceramic tea kettle. Persephone spun in the tiny kitchen, sliding in her socks as she opened up the fridge and pulled out some left overs from yesterday. Music played on the living room speaker and she sang along to the words with no worry in the world. No mother to harp over her. No roommate to be considerate of. The water in the kettle spilled over the brim. Quickly Persephone turned the faucet off and poured out the excess, then set it on the stove. While it heated, Persephone continued to dance to the living room, holding her hand up like an invisible microphone and jumped up on her couch.

(A few weeks ago)

The party was going along swimmingly. Everyone had wine and drink. The music kept the people on the dance floor. Even Hades arrived and wasn't dragging down the vibe or off sulking somewhere. Poseidon hadn't punched anyone in attendance. Aphrodite danced with her new fling, too busy to meddle with others. The conversations were lively. No one felt excluded. Everyone got along and they were all having a great time.

This simply wouldn't do.

"You know who I haven't seen?" Hera turned to Zeus carefully.

"Who?" He smiled, unknowingly. "We've greeted just about everyone at this party."

"Persephone." She said the name like dark curse, taboo and full of power. The air shifted around Hades and Minthe, but which direction no one could tell. Hera smiled. Good, she thought.

"I didn't realize she was here." Zeus said. If he had, he wouldn't have pushed Hades over to her by now.

"I think I saw her go into the garden a few minutes ago. She's a shy one, that one." Hera turned towards the door. "I'll go find her."

"Find who?" Persephone asked, appearing from a branch that had grown behind them by the water feature. As she splashed down into the shallow pool, the branch flicked flowers up around her. It was a crime, honestly. How could someone just be so picturesque all the time. Her flowing hair dripped down past her waist, flower petals catching on her flyaways. She walked through the water towards them. Hades didn't have the only jaw that hung loosely.

"Oh." Hera's eyes shot up. Something seemed different about her. She was radiant, her movements much more self assured, more confident, full of divine power. "You! I was just looking for you."

"You're not going to try to set me up with any more guys are you?" Persephone ran a hand through her hair and sat at the edge of the fountain.

Hera laughed nervously. "What?" She eyed her glaring husband. "No? I would. . ." She cleared her throat. "Never. No. Someone has been wanting to meet you for a long time. Hebe, Hebe!" She called. "Persephone is here."

Hades smiled warmly as Persephone knelt down to the ground and his favorite niece ran up to her, instantly trusting her, and wrapped her arms around her neck. Pink butterflies fluttered around them. Giggles erupted and Hebe climbed up into Persephone's lap. After a moment she whispered something into her ear. Persephone blushed, her eyes darting to Hades, then back to Hebe. She shook her head and booped Hebe's nose.

"You look really happy." Hades finally scrounged up enough nerve to say. It bubbled out before he could really filter himself.

"I am." Persephone said pensively while Hebe practiced braiding in her hair. "Now." She clarified and something strange shifted in her voice. He couldn't quite tell what it meant.

Before he could question further a scream interrupted them. The kind of scream that makes you freeze while your body considers its fight or flight response. Lights turned on in the back garden. Soon people were running to the back to look out at whatever caused the scream. Zeus and Hera launched into the air above the crowd to observe for themselves. They gasped as the shapes began to make sense, but it didn't make sense.

"No, no." Persephone turned Hebe's face back to her. She smiled sweetly. "Let's just keep braiding, yeah?"

(Back to present)

Exhausted from dancing, Persehphone plopped down on the couch and kicked her leg up on the coffee table. Her work clothes were strewn about, piecing it off one after one in the living room, not bothering to put it up in her closet. Her bra dangled from a dinning room chair. Her shoes were somewhere in the hallway. She twisted in her seat and opened the curtain. Lights shone brighter in the darkness. Speckles like starlight in the streetlamps flickered at her. The music changed and in response Persephone rolled off the couch in an erotic manner (at least in her head) and continued to dance like no one was watching. Because no one was.

Solitary confinement wasn't so bad.


	2. Company

The chair in Zeus's office felt cold against her thighs, but she didn't adjust her position. The post behind the ruler of the gods had a typo in it, but Persephone said nothing. She held on to her mother's hand, but avoided her eye.

Zeus stood up to make up his pronouncement. The filled with electricity, a sign of significance and power in his next words.

"To pay for her crimes, Persephone will serve 100 years without the light of day."

______ _______ _______ _______ _________ _______ ________ _________

Persephone turned on the living room lamp. Light of day didn't have any meaning on electricity. She checked on her leftovers in the oven and pulled them out into a plate and began slurping up the noodles on her couch. The music still blared from the speakers. The bass beats so low and loud she mistook the first few door knocks as off rhythm drums.

Knock-knock.

Perspehone perked up like a meerkat, wondering if that sound was real or not.

Knock-knock.

Coming from the door. Persephone dropped her noodles, and the bowl clattered to the ground. She scrambled to the front door and swung it open. "You kids need to knock it off-" She spat out as threatening as possible. Then she saw Hades standing in the apartment hallway, his hand still raised as if to knock on the door again. Hades. His suit from work still on, his shirt buttons undone at the top. His tie loose.

Persephone and Hades looked at each other for a fraction of a second. She was standing so close to him she could smell him and die from pleasure. Then Persephone slammed the door in his face. The wind pushed back Hades hair.

"Persephone?" Hades asked, hurt, speaking through the door.

"I'm sorry!" Persephone yelled. "I- uh. Hold on!" She hurried over to the table and pickup her bra and hooked it on quickly under her shirt. She picked up the broken bowl of noddles and tossed it in the trash. She checked herself in the mirror, pinched her cheeks and calmed down her hair. She smelled her arm pits, shrugged, and grew a bunch of flowers in her hair. "Sorry!" She said again and opened the door just a little. "I wasn't expecting anyone." She spied Hades through the crack in the door.

"No." Hades held the back of his head in his hand. "I suppose not."

"You-" Persephone poked her head out the door and looked both ways. "You really shouldn't be here, you know." She grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him into her apartment quickly. "I-." She shuffled her feet. "I'm not supposed to have visitors."

"I know." Hades nodded, a guilty blush creeping up his neck.

"You might get in trouble if someone finds out you're here." Persephone tugged on the collar of her shirt. "I know how much of a stickler you are for rules."

"This is still my kingdom." Hades took a moment to look around at Persephone's surroundings. Persephone waited for him to go on further in his statement but he didn't. She followed his gaze, her messy apartment.

"Sorry for the mess. I, I wasn't expecting company." She fidgeted with her hair. "I'm not normally such a slob."

"Has anyone been bothering you?" Hades brushed past her comments. "At the door, you said something about-"

"Oh." Persephone rolled her eyes. "There are some dumb teenagers in the building that think it's funny to pester the shut-in, crazy, bad guy."

"You're not any of those things." Hades said in a serious tone and Persephone's face softened. "Let me know if they keep bothering you."

"Oh, that's not necessary. They're just-" Persephone shook her head. "Stupid. We all are stupid and young once."

Hades clicked his mouth and sighed.

After a moment Hades reached into one of his coat pockets, and pulled out a glass tupperware with a bright pink lid. "You left this at work this afternoon." Persephone continued to work at Underworld Inc. But her sentencing only allowed her to interact with coworkers as the job demanded it. She wasn't to socialize with anyone outside of work. Hades had been watching her day after day, withering away in her solitary confinement. "So, I figured I would kill two birds with one stone and bring you dinner with it."

Persephone's eyebrows shot up. "You- you brought me dinner?"

Hades shrugged awkwardly. "Well, I- I wasn't sure what you liked. Here." He offered it to her.

"Oh." Persephone bit her lip and her eyes slid to the side. "I-I can't accept that."

Hades tensed up like a cat. "Wh-Of, of course you can."

"My apologises." Persephone smirked wickedly, trying on her best impression of the king of the underworld. "I can't accept gifts from employers. It's not a good look." She spun around Hades popping up on the other side and sliding the dish away from his hands. She laughed and set it on the dinning room table. "You should see the look on your face." She opened the lid and inhaled the casserole. "MMmm."

"I haven't heard you laugh since-" Hades faltered off.

"Hmm?" Persephone turned back to him.

"Nothing." Hades shook his head. "I hope you like it." He started to back away slowly.

"Not so fast." Persephone pulled on his neck tie, causing it to come undone completely. "I wasn't kidding. I can't accept this."

"Persephone." Hades nearly begged.

Persephone began to tie his black tie back on, flying up to wrap it around his neck. As he tightened it up to his Adam's apple she said, "Only if you eat it with me." Persephone smiled sweetly and pulled out a chair for him.

Hades stood in the middle of Persephone's apartment, holding up everything he wished he could do and everything he wished he could say to her.

"Please." Persephone batted her eyelashes. "If you're going to break the rules. . . will you stay for awhile?" She bit her lip again, holding back just as much as Hades was. When she looked back up she let some of it escape. "I'm terribly lonely."

Hades stayed for dinner.

They ended up talking all night. Persephone poured more wine in his glass and filled hers up as well and they continued chatting on the couch.

"You've never seen 'Astral Wars'?" Hades balked, his jaw dropping. "How?"

"I grew up in the mortal realm, dummy. Mom wouldn't let me watch tv."

"Not even when you went to Olympus?"

"I really didn't go to Olympus that much." Persephone shrugged and sipped on more wine.

"Well, alright then. I suppose I'll have to come back tomorrow with my copies."

"Really?" Persephone moved closer into his lap. "You'll come back?"

"I can't, with good conscience have any of my friends go around without seeing Astral Wars. I suppose we could start with Episode III The Three Kingdoms Strike back." He hummed to himself. "We should watch them all." He looked down at Persephone. "It'll take awhile to do it."

"I don't mind." Persephone beamed. She didn't finish the thought in her head. I don't mind as long as you're with me.

When Hades left, Persephone pulled him into a hug. "I'll be back." He promised.

"Don't let anyone watch you leave here." She whispered back into his ear. He looked at her once more as he began to close the door.

"Wait!" Persephone yelled. "We can't watch Astral Wars."

"What? Why not?"

"I don't have a TV here." Her face fell. "So… if you don't come back. I-I understand."

Hades laughed. Then suddenly he was out of sight and Persephone stared down the empty dark hallway. And she was alone again.


	3. Routine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to give you guys something before the next week took me too far away. It's not much. But it's something.

Persephone hummed while she braided Hebe’s hair. Flowers fizzed into existence in her finger tips and she threaded them through the golden child’s lochs careful not to pull to hard or press too firmly. People still were running towards the back garden. Hades turned to look at them before joining the crowd.  
“I like that song.” Hebe commented on Persephone’s humming.  
“It’s the same song my mother sang to me when I was just about your age.” Persephone explained. “Whenever I got scared or feeling down.”  
“Well. I’m not scared. I’m brave.” Hebe said confidently.  
“Of course. You’re very brave. ” Persephone finished the braid and locked it in with a tied flower stem. “Brave girls can still be scared sometimes. There.” She patted Hebe’s shoulder. “All finished.”  
Hebe hopped up onto her feet and giggled on her way to the fountain. She leaned over to find her reflection in the water. The golden girl spun as far as she could either way to see the braid along side her head and the flowers in her hair.  
“Hebe!” Hera called, she landed between the fountain and Persephone. “Hebe, come to me.”  
A body was being lead in by a stretcher from the garden. Persephone rose and adjusted her dress. The wet hems still clung to her ankles, dripping onto the floor.  
“Persephone.” Hera called, clutching Hebe closer to her. “Persephone, Zeus needs to talk to you.” Her voice was oddly cold and shaking. “Don’t go anywhere.”  
“I won’t.” Persephone promised.  
Hera darted her eyes around as she lead Hebe back up to her bedroom. No one, not even the young goddess had noticed the golden blood washed off in the fountain.

\------------------------------------

6:00am Persephone wakes up two seconds before her alarm. She rubs her eyes, yawns, and gets out of bed only to shiver and jump back in. She sits for a minute bolstering herself up to run to her robe. She makes her bed.  
6:15am Persephone starts to warm up the water in her kettle then decided if she wants to grow her hair out longer or not. She decides to grow it out, doesn’t feel it, then cuts it short again.  
6:20am Persephone steeps a black tea in an old mug with a chip in it. And reads two to three chapters of the one of the books she snuck out of Hades’ office.  
7:00am Persephone writes her mother a letter.  
7:30am Persephone adds the letter to the pile on her desk. Then she leaves for work.  
7:45am Persephone nods at the shop keep who eyes her warily. She promises that after her 100 years are over, she’s going to find out her name and eat one of her pastries.  
8:00am Persephone enters Tower 1 through the back entrance and clocks in. She settles into the back of the library and begins her work, combing through the scrolls for valuable information for upcoming trials and organizing the scrolls back into order.  
1:00pm Persephone takes her mandated thirty minute lunch. Eating a white bread sandwich in the supply closet because she’s not allowed in the break room.  
1:20pm Persehphone returns to work early.  
5:30pm Her shift ends she clocks out and continues working until the streets have cleared out from rush hour traffic.  
6:15pm She walks home, careful not to smile at others.  
6:30pm She undresses right inside the door, jumps onto her own couch, kicks up her feet onto the coffee table and sighs and says “Good evening” to her plants. She tells them about her day and what all she hopes to get accomplished tomorrow. Then she hops back up again and puts on a t shirt and shorts before making dinner. It’s usually pasta.  
7:30pm -10:00pm Persephone reads more of Hades’ books, switching it up with one of her old favorites that’s she’s already read one hundred times and will read one hundred more before her sentence is up.  
10:15pm She washes her face and falls asleep with the window open because she like the cold breeze on her face as she drifts off, even though she knows that tomorrow morning it’s going to be freezing and she won’t want to get out of bed. She does it anyway. 

Persephone does it all again.  
Over.  
And over.  
And over again. 

Until Hades showed up last evening. That was not part of Persephone’s routine. The next morning she jumped right out of bed and into the shower a full 20 minutes before her alarm. She calmed down with her tea, only barely. This time when she sat down to write her mother a letter, she wrote one instead to Hades.  
“Dear Hades.”  
Persephone’s pen paused on his name. Dear Hades. She pondered on the two words together. She said the words allowed. Dear. Hades. With an emphasis on the “Dear.”  
The thud of her head on the desk resonated through the walls. “What is wrong with me.”  
“Dear Hades” She continued.  
“Thank you for your company last evening. I won’t tell anyone. I understand if you made promises last night that you can’t keep. I don’t really expect to see you again.” The pen faltered and left a smudge. “Thank you for allowing me to continue my work. If you want an update on the library organization you know where to find me.”  
She wrote the last sentence with her head back on the desk miserably. After sealing it up, she placed the letter on top of the pile. Once her isolation was over, she’d have Hermes send them all.  
Or maybe she would burn them all. She hadn’t quite yet decided.  
The rest of her day went on as normal.  
8:00am Persephone entered Tower 1 through the back entrance and clocked in through the card machine on the wall. In the back of the library Persephone settled in to begin her days work keeping track of her goals. No one ever came to check on her progress.  
1:00pm Persephone took her mandated thirty minute lunch.  
1:20pm Snuck out of the supply closet, brushing off the sandwich crumbs and returned to work a little early.  
5:30pm She clocked out but then continued to work.  
6:15pm She walked home, careful not to smile at others.  
6:30pm She undressed right inside the door, jumped onto her own couch, kicked up her feet onto the coffee table and sighed and said “Good evening” to her plants. She begins to clean. “Because I’ve been meaning to tidy up for myself for awhile.” Not even her plants believe that.  
7:30pm Persephone settled onto the couch with a book in hand and her white tea in the other.  
7:34pm Someone knocked on her door.  
7:35pm Persephone opened the door in shock to see Hades there on the other side of the threshold again for the second night in a row like she’d seen a ghost.  
“I thought perhaps you could help me.” Hades said. He grabbed something from his coat. Before Persephone could slam the door in his face again he put his hand on the frame and showed Persephone a chess set in his hand. “I’m apparently rusty.”  
Her eyes brightened. “I’m at your service.” Persephone grinned and pulled Hades into her apartment.


	4. Check Mate

Persephone tensed not sure if he would really come tonight. She went back and forth in her head about it. Hoping he wouldn’t, for his sake. And hoping he would, desperately anyway. She made sure her apartment was spotless just in case. No one had come to visit her for awhile now. And she was decidedly sure, except when hope gave room for wings, that no one ever would. The furniture gleamed and smelled of lemon oil. The carpet felt as soft as new moss. The book case was organized. The stolen books hidden under the couch cushion.

When she surveyed her own kingdom, the small bedroom apartment, and found it to her liking she suddenly felt her hand shake with nerves. She forced her hands to pick up the book she had been reading and swung back onto the coffee table trying to smother down the light of hope deep inside her belly. The words on the page began to fade out, like someone turned the dial down. She kept reading over the same sentence. Her mind running rampant with thoughts and desires she couldn’t--no--wouldn't make herself form into coherent fragments. She huffed to herself rolling onto her stomach and started the chapter over again, realizing she had no idea what was happening in the story anymore even though she’d read it over fifty times already. 

However, every time she could relax she saw that creature in her dream so many moons again. The red face in the window of her dream green house greeting her with a low gravel: “May I come in?” 

Something twisted in her stomach and lept up to her throat. What would she say to that entity now? 

She looked at the door and then scolded herself for doing so.

Who did she want that entity to be? 

Persephone furiously began biting at the bottom of her lip while she continued in vain to read. Her heart kept beating in her throat despite her best efforts to swallow it down. That dream began to play again in her mind only this time the figure was solidly Hades. 

_ No longer a ghostly entity, but strong reassuring shoulders incased the wickedly real and magnificent body of the King of the Underworld. His palm pressed against the glass of the green house. _

_ “It’s rude to spy.” Perspehone said while tending to her roses, wishing to turn towards him but not wanting to lose herself to his charms just yet. If she could just resist a little longer to tease him.  _

_ “May I come in?” Hades asked. His breath lingering on the window panes, fogging up the glass. Persephone shuddered involuntarily, wondering what it would feel like for that breath to fog up her own skin. Perhaps on her neck just by her throat. Or on her stomach. Or perhaps even-- The flowers bloomed in her palm and she felt her breath hitch at the idea of those forbidden thoughts.  _

_ “And what would you do if I let you in?” She asked in a sultry voice. Slowly she turned toward the window to see the delicious and hungry expression in his eyes.  _

_ “Set you free.” The Hades in her head said. And whatever walls she had built around the other edges of her prison fell away. _

_ Suddenly they were kissing. Her lips needing him like breath. She pushed herself closer onto him against one of the trellises and he folded his arms across her back pressing her further still onto him. And then slowly his fingers tangled in her hair, cupping her by the nap of the neck holding her face against his solidly like the grasp the root has with the earth. His tongue wiped across the front of her teeth and she parted her lips accepting his invitation. When she felt his tongue against hers she rolled her eyes and moaned, feeling fire trickle like a spring down her spine. Hot chills raised her skin as she felt something hard press against her thigh.  _

_ She pulled back to catch her breath and stared up into his eyes. “Show me.” She gasped, trying to find her voice somewhere in the high heavens.  _

_ He raised his eyebrows curiously at her. Suddenly a smile burst apart his lips and he swung down breathing against her neck just how she wanted him. “This is how you’ll find your freedom.” He kissed the tops of her exposed shoulder, sunkissed and freckled, then with his teeth her pulled the cloth down exposing her-- _

There was a knock at the door. Persephone jumped from the couch, breathing wildly. Her chest moved up and down erratically. She held her hands up like she had gotten caught. Was this part of her. . . fantasy? 

The door knocked again and Persephone’s knees trembled. She shook her head trying to pull herself together. Quickly she checked herself out in the mirror making sure her hair was cute, playing with the sweater around her shoulders and lowering it on one side so that those sun-kissed freckles would show. She blushed at her ridiculous behavior and swung the door open, quietly telling herself it was just those damn teenagers again. 

She closed her eyes, not wanting to see her own disappointment. But then she smelled him. Undeniably Hades. Even though he told her he was coming, her eyes popped open wide as if she’d seen a ghost. Words pooled in her mouth but she couldn’t turn them into sentences. 

He saw her hand twitch on the door. Afraid she might slam the door against him he pulled out something from within his coat. “I thought perhaps you could help me.” Hades said. She saw the edges of a regal looking box. The top with squares of white and black. A chess set. “I’m apparently rusty.” Hades grinned unsure of himself, but trying nonetheless. 

Her eyes brightened and her hand fell away from the door, letting Hades relax a little. “I’m at your service.” She bit her lip coyly, playing with the terms of their arrangement. 

“May I come in?” Hades asked earnestly. 

Persephone shuddered and yanked Hades in by his front and practically dragged him into her apartment. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Persephone waited by the fountain as instructed by Hera. Waited for the judgement of Zeus she was sure of. She hadn't hidden from her deed. The evidence her was over everything. She saw a nymph come from the garden, her hand on her stomach and she leaned into one of the ancient vases near the stairway, bile coming up. 

She turned away and tried to block out the sound, humming to herself the same tune her mother had when she wasn’t feeling well. And she wasn’t feeling well. And she knew no one was here to take care of her. That’s why she did it. That’s why she did it in the first place. Because no one else would listen. No one else would dare stand up to him. She swallowed down her fear. The worst of it was over. Now whatever remind, she could live with. She would have to. 

She heard thunder rumble and crack so close. The crowd running away all jumped in unison. Persephone didn’t even bat an eye. She knew what awaited her. She wouldn’t cower or run from it. Zeus stormed back in, quite literally. His eyes alight with white gold electricity and he swung his arms by his side like the hammers of justice. 

She smiled sadly at the sight of him. But where was her own justice? She rose slowly prepared to meet her fate. She saw by the light in the garden a remnant of what her justice meant. And the smile twisted high for half a second before she cooled down to a tranquil expression. 

“Persephone!” Zeus’ voice boomed. 

“Wait!” Hades lunged towards his brother. “Brother, do not do this.” If Zeus voice was thunder, Hades’ voice was the strike of metal and rock. 

Zeus faltered a moment and turned to Hades. He grabbed his brother by the collar and yanked him down, eye to eye. “What would you have me do, hmm? You know what I must--”

Hades begged, “You don’t have to--” 

“It’s alright.” Persephone stated calmly. “I will be agreeable and go without resistance.” 

Zeus eyed the pink goddess sadly. “I do not enjoy this.” He grumbled. 

“Nor I.” She bowed her head respectfully. “Can I ask one favor?” 

Zeus guffawed. “You are in no position to--”

“Hear her out.” Hades pinched his elbow. 

“I only wish to speak with you in private to discuss the terms.” She couldn’t do this in front of him. 

Zeus settled down. “Well of course we’d talk in private.”

“With Hera.” Persephone added. 

Zeus narrowed her eyes.

“And without my mother.” 

Zeus took in a deep breath. Right. Demeter. “Yes, I would very much like to leave her out of this.” 

“Those are my terms.” Persephone nodded again. 

“Fine.” Zeus shrugged not seeing what this would do. “Fine! Let’s get this over with. Hades, fetch Hera and bring her to my office.” He turned to Persephone. “You. Follow me.” 

She relaxed a little and stepped towards the King of the Gods. The rest would be in the hands of The Fates. She turned over her shoulder to the garden happy to leave this all behind. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

While Hades set up the game on the dining room table, Persephone poured two cups of tea for them. She kept eyeing the way his pants fit as he leaned over the table to set the rook into position. He turned suddenly to her and she nearly yelped. 

“Did I frighten you, Kore?” Hades asked, concern written across his forehead. 

“No.” Persephone swallowed. “Sorry. I -- I’m just still not used to someone being here.” 

“Well, I intend to change that.” Hades muttered to himself. Warmth fluttered in Persephone’s core. Then he looked up at her. “I mean. I know.” He folded his hands together and looked at them with a tight face. “I know what it is to. . . be alone.” He finished and swallowed something down his throat. His toes twitched with anxiety. “Until Posiedon, there was n-n-n-n-n--” He stuttered hard on the word. He blushed embarrassed as his mouth shook on the consonant and he turned away from her. “N-n-no one with me.” He finally said and gasped in air when he’d said it. 

“Oh.” Persephone’s heart sank for him. What petty little inconveniences she faced compared to the breadth of horror he had. How many years had he been by himself, at such a young age. No one there but the evil all around him. She set down the cup beside Hades and gingerly touched his arm. “Do you want to talk about it?” She asked sincerely. Her eyes shining up encouragingly. 

A laugh barked out. “I obviously c-c-can’t.” Hades folded his hand over his scalp and pulled his hair through it. “After all this time, it’s still so difficult.” 

Persephone shook her head. She would listen to him talk all night if just to hear a single sentence from his lips. 

“No. No.” He rose to her. “Kore, I’d much rather play chess with you.”

Smiling, she nodded and took her seat opposite Hades. “White goes first.” She nodded at him. The game began.

While she overtook his queen with a simple pawn, she could feel his eyes burning into her like coals. She liked the heat. But whenever she looked back up at him he moved quickly as if he had been studying the board in contemplation and not the curve of her jawline. 

“So what may I call you.” Persephone bit her lip as Hades began to move his King. Before it touched the other tile he switched gears and hovered the piece above another. Persephone winced and grabbed the back of her neck. Hades set the king back down in it’s original spot and moved his castle to one of it’s available spots. Persephone nodded, closing her eyes. Hades grinned and did as he was told. 

“What do you mean?” He asked, watching Persephone play practically against herself. 

“You call me Kore. An old dead name to me.” She eyed his castle, then looked passed it to his King. 

“Do you wish me to stop?”

“No.” Persephone smacked the table too harshly. “Sorry. No. I like the name when you say it.” 

Hades tilted his head. “And if the name was said by another.” 

She scrunched up her nose. “Let’s just say, I like the name from your lips.” 

Hades shivered. “Kore.” He said, "Kore, Kore.” He said the name until it sounded foreign to him.

Persephone grinned. 

“Kore.” He looked up at the ceiling, his finger still on his piece. “Kore you may call me. . . checkmate.” He smirked at her wickedly knocking over Persephone’s king. 

“Check mate?” Persephone stood up. “H--” She didn’t see it coming. “You tricked me.” 

“Just as you tried to trick me. Don’t say you weren’t trying to fool me with your subtle coaching.” Hades leaned forward. 

“I was doing no such thing.” Persephone protested, but a smile crept up the corner of her lips, betraying her. 

“You’re a terrible liar.” Hades shook his head his eyes crinkled with joy. 

“You wouldn’t have gotten so far if I hadn’t.” Persephone shrugged her shoulders back. “I could have ended this 15 minutes ago.”

“Then why didn’t you.” He raised his eyebrows enjoying her playful dismay. 

But then Persephone’s face fell and she sat back down uncomfortably. “Because I didn’t-- I didn’t want the game to be over.” She winced at herself. “I didn’t want you to go.” She said further, wishing she could bury her face in a pile of blankets instead of letting Hades see the blush rise to her face. 

He studied her for a moment. “Aidoneus.” Hades said solemnly. 

Persephone raised her head a bit confused. She watched him start to replace the pieces to their starting position. “What?” 

“You can call me Aidoneus.” He swallowed, not meeting her eyes quite yet. He continued to pick up the pieces and place them on their rightful tiles. “It’s a very old name.” He said as loud as a whisper. 

“Aidoneus.” Persephone tried out the name on her tongue feeling a fire spark in her chest. Hades eyes jumped to met hers. The same spark jumped down his spine. 

“Yes.” He sighed. The way she said it . . . so different than when the ancient ones used it to tease him. She said it softly. Not like a joke. Not to belittle him or use it against him. 

“Aidoneus.” She said again. His name on her lips like a gentle breeze. She realized what he had given to her with this name. He couldn’t speak of his time of his Father’s torment. But he did give her his name. 

“Aidoneus?” Persephone hesitantly looked up at him. His ears flamed with hearing his name on his lips so many times. A blessing he didn't deserve.

“Yes?” He breathed. 

“Can we play again?” She asked, nervous about his answer. 

“What do you think I’m doing, Kore?” He smiled finishing up the last one. The board set back up ready to be played again. “You let me win last round. I’ll be black this time.” He spun the board around. “We’re still 1:0. I'll not leave until I have an honest game match point on our scoreboard.” 

“You’re keeping track?” She raised her eyebrow gleefully. 

“Of course.” Hades grinned. “Don’t pretend you aren’t either.” He eyed her ruefully. 

"It might take all night for you to beat me." Persephone smiled. "Honestly." 

Hades looked at her above his clasped hands. "A risk I'm willing to take."

She giggled and felt the walls around her begin to crack. Perhaps he wasn’t here to free her, perhaps he wasn’t here to kiss the freckles on her shoulders. -- She sighed and began to see the whole game of chess play out in her mind. -- This right here was enough. Enough for now. 

  
  



	5. Aidon

“Hades.” Zeus pulled him aside. Persephone still waited for her fate in his office. She, Zeus, and Hera had been talking for several minutes now. But it had felt like hours. “Can I speak with you?”

“Ye-yes.” Hades nodded. He got up from the spot on his wall. He was tired of seeing Demeter storm up and down the waiting room. “Is everything okay?”

Zeus pushed his older brother down the hallway and into a side door. “No everything is not okay.” Zeus rubbed his forehead warily. “You idiot. Of course everything is not okay. It’s bad. It’s real bad.”

Hades clenched his jaw. “If you’ve come to ask me to punish her, I won’t--”

“You’ll do as I say, brother.” 

“You know how I feel about her.”

“You saw her across the room once and had a couple of nice chats. You don’t know anything about her. Will you defy me?” Zeus’ eyes filled with an electric light. “Don’t forget who you answer to.”

Hades simmered and ground his teeth together. “What do you want from me?”

Zeus groaned. “I make this decision with all the realms in mind. Please remember that.” 

“Just say it.” Hades felt his tie loosening. He knew what Zeus was about to ask of him. To take her to Tower 4. To the lowest level. 

“She’s too powerful, Hades.” Zeus pinched the bridge of his nose. “There is no controlling her. Why do you think Demeter, who had raised her in the mortal realm since birth, allowed her to move up to Olympus? She’s too dangerous. And now she’s too dangerous for Olympus. I haven’t announced it yet, but I need your. . .” Zeus paused trying to find the right word. “I need to have your permission.”

“Permission?” 

“For lack of a better word. I need to have your approval.” 

“For Gaia’s sake, you’ve sent men and gods into Tartarus before without my permission, why do you ask this of me now?”

“Tartarus?” Zeus blinked. “Oh, no.” He shook his head. “No, my dear brother. No. I need you to swear to me, that you’ll protect her.”

“What?” Hades blinked. 

“Protecting her will keep your kingdom safe. I’m sending her to the Underworld, but not to Tartarus. She’s not--“ Zeus paused. “She needs time to think about what she’s done. Attacking an Olympian...” Zeus shivered. 

“I swear it. I swear to protect her.” Hades said quickly before Zeus could change his mind.

“Will you also swear, to keep your distance from her?”

Hades eyes narrowed. “You ask me to protect her and then ask me to stay away from her? Which is it?”

“The same request.” Zeus smoothed his hair back. 

“I don’t understand.”

“You don’t have to.” Zeus began to walk back to the office. Demeter stared at the both of them with tears in her eyes. “Stay away from her, brother.” He whispered to Hades. “Remember that she is dangerous.”

* * *

  


Hades blinked his eyes open. Slowly the room came into focus. Dark haze turning into soft blue color. The chilly room caused him to shiver, so he pulled up his silk covers, but his fingers only found a knitted wool blanket. He blinked again. More colors filling in his head. He shifted to his side. His head adjusted on a velvet throw pillow. His side sunk into a gap in the cushion. He wasn’t in his own bed. 

He remembered it now. “Aidoneous,” She called him. His heart warmed at the memory. They had sat at the dining room table, forgetting to play the game in front of them. His fingers curled around a pawn, tapping it against the board. 

“Tell me about how you and Hecate first met.” She asked, sipping on her coffee. She didn’t care about the game anymore. They’d been playing round after round, their focus slipping each match and realigning on each other’s stories. The sound of his voice. The way he brooded on certain subjects. The dimple when he smiled. Persephone felt selfish, knowing time was slipping away, but she didn’t want this moment to end.

“Oh man.” Hades yawned. “That was such a long time ago. Before I was King.” 

Persephone leaned in, wondering what that young boy must have been like. Not quite an adult, but old enough to fight and win the biggest battle in the universe. She wanted to know everything about him. “Tell me.” She begged, like a sinner begging for the gospel. 

Hades saw the intensity in her eyes and paused, completely forgetting about the that his hand still wrapped around a pawn. “Why do you want to know?” He asked, unsure. 

Persephone sat back and blushed. “S-sorry.” She bit her lip. “I forgot my place.”

“No, it’s alright.” Hades smiled. He instinctively reached out to hold her hand to know that she had said nothing wrong. The pawn dropped to the table, but he didn’t care. “It’s just no one has ever . . .asked me about these kinds of things before.” 

She saw something in his face that made her relax again. “I--I just.” She tried to find an answer but was becoming too self conscious again. “I haven’t lived very long. I’m young even for a mortal.” She relished in the warmth of his hand around hers. “By the time my sentence is over, I’ll have lived more years in this room than I have above in the sunshine.” Hades squeezed his hand, his heart breaking for her once again. 

“But um.” Persephone blushed and turned away. “You ask why I want to know more about you. And Um. I suppose the answer is that,” She bit her lip. “I like. . .” Her heart thudded. Her hand felt hot wrapped inside his. “Well, what I mean is. That I like. . .”

Hades held his breath.

“I like your stories. I like your voice.I like hearing about all your adventures. I like the way you speak and the way you listen. I like the way your hand feels in mine. And I like--” She gulped. “Sorry. Is it my turn?” She turned to the game of chess again. 

“I can’t remember.” Hades face burned. 

“Oh.” Kore nodded and sat back into her chair. She tried to remove her hand away from his, but he held onto it.

“Kore?” Hades looked up at her through long eyelashes. 

“Yes?” 

“The first time I met Hecate she tackled me to the ground, thinking I was an emissary for Kronus. I had to convince her of my intentions of releasing the underworld gods, that my father kept as prisoners. She hated me at first and I wasn’t too keen on her either.” 

Persephone smiled again. Her eyes taking her to the couch. It would be so much more comfortable to talk on the sofa. 

Hades seemed to read her mind and he rose, his hand still entangled with hers and they walked to the living room. He sat down near the end of the sofa and she joined him at his side. Their hand still clasped together. While he continued telling stories of his youth, Persephone curled against his chest and inhaled his scent.

“Kore?” He looked down at her.

“Yes?” Her head nestled into his arm. 

“I like talking to you too.”

Persephone smiled and pulled a blanket around the both of them and they talked like that until their eyes went heavy and the colors of the room faded into the darkness of sleep.

Hades clutched his chest where her head had been. He sat up, still bleary eyed. Hoping that perhaps this wasn’t a dream. Or that if it was a dream that he was still asleep. He didn’t want to wake up in his empty bed.

“Aidon, you’re awake.” Persephone appeared from the kitchen with a spatula in her hand. “Good morning.” 

“Good --” He checked his watch. “Aidon?”

Persephone shrugged and walked back into the kitchen, speaking over her shoulder. “Short for Aidoneus. Do you not like it?” 

“I--” Hades yawned and rubbed his head. “I’m not sure to be honest.”

“Oh?”

“You’ll have to keep calling me Aidon before I make up my mind entirely.” 

“Yes, sir.” Persephone appeared again and walked over to the King of the Underworld, setting down a plate of pancakes on the coffee table in front of him. “Do you like chocolate chip?” 

“Wow. What is this all for?” 

“Part of my wicked plan.” Persephone sat on the chair opposite him, curling her legs underneath her. When Hades froze in place, Persephone laughed. “My wicked plan of waking up the King of the Underworld with baked goods so that he won’t feel so bad for losing in chess so many times.” 

Hades lifted a piece of the pancake with his fork. “Ha. Ha.” He rolled his eyes and took a bite. “Mm. I normally don’t eat breakfast.” He checked his watch again. “I normally don’t sleep in either.” 

“Well, I don’t suppose you normally sleep on the coach of your prisoner do you?” 

“Pri-” Hades face dropped. Persephone smiled. “Is that what you think you are?” 

“Well.” She shrugged and yawned, stretching out her hand into the air. “That’s what I’m supposed to be, aren’t I? Prisoner of the underworld.” She laughed, no hint of distress on her face. 

Hades took another bite, not sure how to answer and not sure how to take her response.

“So, what are you going to do today?” She asked like the questions posed the night before. 

He thought it odd, her enthusiasm, but then realized that she wouldn’t be going anywhere today herself. She had no plans for the weekend but to continue existing. 

“Well, I--”

A knock on the door interrupted him. They both froze. 

“Persephone.” A booming and familiar voice called. “It’s Zeus.”

“Fuck.” Hades sighed under his breath.

Persephone panicked. She turned to Hades and grabbed at him. 

“What are you doing?” Hades whispered. 

“Hiding you. You aren’t supposed to be here.” She hissed back. She pushed him forward through the living room. She turned back to the door and called to her new visitor, “Uh- Just a second!” 

“You’re trying to hide _ me _?’ Hades almost laughed. 

“Just get in the bathroom.” She opened the door to a light grey tiled room. “I can’t argue about this right now.” 

Zeus yelled again from the door. “Persephone, I need to speak with you. I know you haven’t been getting any news--”

Persephone flung the door open. “S-sorry. I wasn’t expecting anybody.” Her face was flushed and she blew a stray hair off of her forehead. Her neck was red with embarrassment. 

“No. I would think not.” Zeus poked his head in. 

“What--what do I owe the honor?” She remembered too late to bow. 

Zeus waved her off. “This is not my Kingdom, you needn’t bow to me here.” 

“Well, but you are still--”

“Is there a man hiding in your bathroom?” Zeus sniffed the air. 

“What?” Persephone reddened. How did he guess so specifically. “A man? In my bathroom? I don’t think so.” She exaggerated her disbelief. 

Zeus eyed her unconvinced. He saw the pancakes on the coffee table and the two mugs of coffee. “Having a breakfast of one?” He turned to the kitchen, inspecting it. Still looking for this man. 

“Well. I have to do something to cheer myself up.” Persephone shrugged. 

“I thought you liked it here.” Zeus raised his eyebrows. “Wasn't it _you_ that ask me if you could spend your--”

“Sssshhh.” Persephone grew red again. “I have neighbors.” 

“Neighbors?” Zeus tilted his head and his eyes narrowed. “Or do you have a man in your bathroom.” Zeus grinned wickedly and kicked the door open. “A-Ha!” Zeus peered inside. Just the grey tiles reflected back to him. A rusty four claw bathtub at the end and a cracked mirror above a porcelain sink. No other reflection other than his own. He checked himself out in the mirror and winked before stepping further inside, still not convinced. “Damn. I could have sworn.” 

Persephone also looked inside and knitted her eyebrows together. Where did he go? 

“Come on, Zeus. What did you come all this way for?” 

As he left the bathroom, he hummed and took a seat on the couch where his brother had been sleeping just a few moments ago. “Ah, well. Speaking of your sentence. There’s been a bit of a problem.”

“What do you mean?” Persephone followed him back, swinging her arms out to her side, sweeping for an invisible man in her apartment. 

Zeus pinched the bridge of his nose and inhaled sharply. “You’re not going to like this.” He looked up at Persephone. “Demeter is demanding you be released. Making an awful fuss about it too.”

  



	6. A Sad Thing to See

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously On Solitaire: 
> 
> Hades accidentally spent the night at Persephone's after realizing how lonely the both of them have been during her sentencing.   
Zeus barged in with news that Demeter want's to overturn Persephone's punishment.  
Where de heck is Hades?

_ Before _

Persephone sniffed out the rather potent eucalyptus infused air and wafted her hand out in front of her face. There was such a thing, as too much of a good thing. 

“Persephone!” Hestia swiveled around behind her cherry oak desk. There was very little in her office. A succulent on her desk. A few books lined the shelves that she had written herself, with titles like _“If I had a Daughter I’d Tell her Ten Things”_, and the popular sequel _“How to Raise Pure Women in a Dirty Man’s World”_ and of course her own organizational method book that swept the lower nations, _“The Life Changing Magic of Purging Possessions: Joy is Overrated”_ The walls were bare, a few cracks in the paint, but it seemed to be industrial chic and very much purposeful. On the walls, the only thing hung was a portrait of Hestia herself wrapped up with a plain linen cloth with the quote, “Small Lives Serve Big Purposes” spelled out in large bold letters. 

“What a wonderful surprise. Come in, come in.” Hestia stood up and got the door behind her. “It’s so quiet today with everyone going to the big party later. I hope you aren’t going. You’re not are you? After the last party you went to, being kidnapped like that, it was a bad look.” Just then Persephone breathed in another potent pocket of diffused air and coughed into her elbow. “Are you okay? You got a coughing fit? Here, inhale this new essential oil diffuser I just got. It’s good for you. Supposed to support respiratory. . . somethings.”

“Oh, I already have inhaled it.” Persephone cleared her throat again. 

Hestia closed the door behind her. “A lovely Siren came through earlier with them and gave me a wonderful demo. I think I might start selling them on my own. You know to raise funds for TGOEM. Think about the good it would do. Two birds. One stone. Or, essential oil. In fact, if you buy products from me, you can sell too and then we could--”

Persephone stifled a laugh at the row of boxes of essential oils. “And I thought pyramid schemes were more up Ra and Isis’s alley,” She muttered under her breath.

“What?” Hestia turned pleasantly. 

“N-nothing.” Persephone grinned. “I hope that works out for you. I’m not much of a salesman. I’d end up giving away everything. That’s more of my mother’s thing.” 

“Oh. Well.” Disappointment slipped into her tone like a dominatrix squeezing into latex. “I’m sorry to hear that. I had hoped I could count on you to be a proponent for women. Female advancement hasn’t come so far by women not supporting each other. It’s such a sad thing to see.” She shook her orange hair out and pulled on a maniacal smile. “Oh well. I’m sure I’ll win you over later. You know, I was just reviewing your application. After the tabloid snafu, it would be a nice gesture to. . . add something else to this resume. You’ll be wanting to make smarter moves now. Think ahead. Be strategic.” Hestia said over her reading glasses. “If you’ve read chapter nine of ‘_How to Remain Pure in an Impure World: Business Addition_’ you’ll know that politics is key and you can’t get away from it. Everyone wants something. So you have to always think two steps ahead. You have to know what you want, how you get there, and who you have to maneuver around to do so. You’re young now, but you’ll get it soon enough. Now then, what did you want to talk about?” 

Persephone gulped as she stared past Hestia, an opponent, to the goal at the other side of her invisible board. She took a deep breath ready to make her first attempt at maneuvering her first hurdle. “Actually. It’s about my application.” 

* * *

_Now_

__________________________________________________________________

Zeus folded his hands on Persephone’s couch. “Ugh. I forgot how poor some people are.” He said sadly looking around Persephone’s room. Her cozy space that she’d made for herself. A space that she loved. A home she could be proud of. Handwoven quilts, knitted blankets. A worn table and bookshelves that had been painted over a few times as the season changes. “I don’t like being here. It makes me sad.”

His previous words still percolated between Persephone’s ears. _ “Demeter.” “Fuss.” “You’re not going to like this.” _

“I mean, I know I had to punish you, but I didn’t realize you’d be putting yourself in such squalor.” 

“What?” Persephone tilted her head, waking back up from her land of thoughts. 

“This place is sad.” Zeus frowned. “I’m sad now.” He touched the old coffee table fully lived in with cup stains and didn’t understand why Persephone just didn’t get a new one, or hire some servants to-- _ Right. Solitary confinement. Still did servants really count? _ He pondered for a moment then stood up. “Come on, I have to take you out of here.” 

“No.” Persephone backed up.

“Yes.” Zeus nodded. “We’re in a position that demands that we reevaluate your sentence.”

Persephone continued to back up. Her feet pedaling away out of survival. “N-no.” She muttered. “I have nearly 99 years left.” Then her back hit some kind of wall. She turned but the hallway wall was 4 feet away. A hand quickly held her own and she felt Hades shirt cuff drag along her arm. She stifled a yelp of surprise before rocketing forward again, ripping herself out of his invisible grasp. The shock of Hades still in her apartment. The surprise of his hand all made her heart beat fast. 

Zeus didn’t seem to pay any attention to the odd moment. “You’re not in any position to make demands.” 

“But.” Persephone pouted. 

“If you want to be treated like a criminal.” Zeus adjusted his cuffs. “Then you’ll be treated like one.” 

Persephone rolled her eyes. “If you go back against your decree, the people will see that as weakness. You’re in a really good position right now. People fear you and love you. If they don’t fear you, if you walk this back, then you may lose both.” 

Zeus crackled with energy, “My optics are none of your concern.”

“Really?” Persephone gritted her teeth. “Because that wasn’t true a few months ago. I gave you a golden opportunity to be a hero.”

“What you did was hellish.” Zeus snapped back. 

“And you loved the attention you got because of it.” Perspehone crossed her arms. Damn, this conversation would be better if Hades wasn’t slinking around. She had to be careful with her words. 

“Don’t make it sound like you did all this for my benefit.” Zeus practically laughed. “Please. I know the game you’re playing.” 

“Funny.” Persephone huffed and looked at her feet, wondering where to take this next and what would be the fallout of every action. Two steps ahead. Chess was easy because you only had one opponent. Life was difficult when everyone on Olympus had their own king they were trying to protect and they were all playing on the same field. “You’re not even on my board anymore.” 

Persephone tried to remember the goal at the end. She sighed and dragged her hands down her face. All her careful planning and weighed risks, but now Demeter came swinging from left field. She hadn’t fully considered her mother's dynamics. The field changed. The goal scooted further back. “If I go with you. . .”

“Which, you have to.” Zeus grinned, enjoying the fact she still thought that was up for debate. 

“If I go with you--” Persephone persisted. “What happens?”

“Negotiations. Most likely nothing will be decided today.” 

“Do you know what Demeter is going to bring, what her angle is?”

“No. But I’m leaving that all up to my lawyers.”

Persephone's finger twitched, a slip in her compuser. “What happens if something is decided.”

“What do you mean?” 

“Can I ask for a favor?” Persephone bunched up her sweater nervously.

“Like I said before, you’re in no position to--”

“A fortnight.” 

“Huh?” Zeus sighed, folding.

“Or till the end of the month. Whichever works better, I don’t care. Whatever is decided on, whatever comes from the negotiations, any changes in my sentence, give me that time before the changes are enacted.” 

Zeus chewed it over. Everytime she wanted a favor it was something completely logical and easy. There was always some ulterior motive but he never knew what her sights were set on. Still, it was so rational, he would be a fool if not to go along with it. “If I set a timer, that would make it appear as if these changes were more methodical and that the initial intent was still effective Huh. People really don’t give you enough credit.” Zeus watched her try to figure out the puzzle in her mind.

“I know.” Persephone grabbed her coat. “I’m counting on it.” She stuffed her arms through. 

* * *

Hades watched the exchange from his position near the kitchen. He hoped to comfort Persephone, but when he had grabbed her hand she recoiled. _ Idiot, _ he realized. No one wants to hold hands with a ghost. People feared him for this power, and he forgot about that.

Watching Persephone and Zeus talk, confused him further. There seemed to be some kind of information missing. An elephant in the room that only they could see. Even though he was himself, his own elephant in the room, but no one could see him. 

He couldn't tell who had all the cards in this situation. The dynamic was interesting to say the least. He was just glad that Zeus didn’t try anything funny with Persephone. A beautiful young woman “alone” in her own apartment, imprisoned by Zeus’ own ruling. He’d seen this set up before with Zeus’ trysts. Zeus really loved the advantages that his power gave him and didn’t let it go to “waste.”

But that wasn’t at all the dynamic Hades witnessed. They talked the way he and Hecate did together. Not exactly friends, but business partners. He scratched his chin, his fingers running against the chin guard of the Helm of Darkness. 

“Are you going to lock up?” Zeus asked in the apartment hallway. Persephone closed the door right as Hades was about to skirt passed with her. He leaned his ear against the wood still able to hear their muffled conversation outside of the apartment. As soon as the coast was clear he could open the door and follow after them. 

“Um. No.” Persephone said hesitantly. She waved her arms around the hallway as she had when they came back from the bathroom. If Hades had managed to leave with them, she couldn’t feel him in their space now. If she locked the door, suspicions would arise if she returned and the door was unlocked miraculously. A different game and she wanted to keep this to herself. In this game, the king she wanted to protect was her time spent with one eavesdropping in her apartment, now more than ever. “There’s no need to. No one wants to bother the way-ward Destroyer.” She hissed and turned to be escorted out of the building by Zeus. 

“Remember that thing about my optics?” Zeus leaned down in the lobby of the apartment complex. “Well, I’m gonna need to handcuff you.” 

“What?” Persephone looked out the glass doors to see a dark hurdled mass. “Are there news cameras?” 

“I suppose I should call Hades.” He tapped his chin. “He should be aware of what’s happening in his kingdom.”

“No!” Persephone spun in front of him. “Hades has nothing to do with this.”

“True, but it is rather unusual to take out someone who has been sent to the Underworld for punishment.” He reached for his phone. 

“Well, this whole thing is rather unusual. Can we just go? I really don’t want to bother Hades about this. I’ll be back today. He’s very busy and--” 

A smile grew on Zeus’ face. “Mhmmmmm.” He leaned down and studied the blush rising to Persephone’s cheeks. Part of him always wondered. . . “Very unusual indeed.”

“Knock it off.” Persephone rolled her eyes. “Are you gonna handcuff me, or what?”

Zeus grinned even more. “I usually only hear that question from Hera. Interesting.” 

Oblivious, Persephone held her hands out behind her back obediently. 

“I don’t actually have handcuffs.” He knew where he kept his. Under a certain draw in his bedroom, but he didn’t think the media would appreciate his fuzzy leopard print handcuffs. That would be a whole nother scandal for a different day. That and the chains of Tartarus, he did keep in his office, but that was overkill. Literally.

Persephone groaned and grew her own vines around her wrists, and waited till they brackled up into stiff binds. “Will this work?” 

“Good enough. We’ll only be outside for a bit.” Zeus looked out the window. “They’re going to be asking you a lot of invasive questions. And by asking I mean screaming at you. You know what to do right?”

“Say nothing.” Persephone nodded. 

“After you, death bringer.” Zeus opened the door. 

* * *

“Good morning everyone. Phylis Beakman with Channel 9 here with breaking news.” A young hot looking wood nymph said into a microphone. She wore a puffy red coat with the symbol of her network embroidered on her collar. “I’m standing in front of the home of the cruel and ruthless convict, the god slasher, the destroyer of light, death bringer herself, that’s right. You all know who I’m talking about. Persephone. In just a moment she will be escorted off the premises by Zeus. Where, later today she will be joined by her mother in renegotions for her sentence.” Phylis walked two steps to her right in a planned and coordinated movement. “Let’s get some opinions from some of the citizens of the Underworld how they feel about this development. Hello, sir. What do you think about Persephone potentially reducing or negating her sentencing?” 

A scruffy satyre scratched his beard. “I don’t know. I don’t really care what the gods do. It’s not really our place to--”

“And how about you miss?” Phyliss jammed the microphone up to a large ogre. 

“I think it’s horrible. Just because she has connections doesn’t mean she should be able to get off easy. It’s hard sleeping at night knowing people like her are out there.” 

Her friend rolled her eyes. “Oh come on, Bertha. It’s not like she slaughtered a village of people like us.”

“You know what she did to--”

“And he’s fine! It’s not like she could actually murder a god. The deathless ones. I think this whole thing is being blown out of proportion and people like you,” The ogre’s friend pointed at the reporter. “Make it harder for people to think with their heads rather than with the fear you shove down people’s throats.” 

Phylis was about to cut the feed but then the door opened and the other news networks all ran for it. Zeus wore a dark solemn face as he stepped down with his hand clutching the bound arm of Persephone. She stared at her feet, not making eye contact. She watched the camera flashes from the reflections of the small puddles in the cracked pavement. The only emotion came in the form of a small smile as she twisted her bound hands around an invisible finger for comfort. Hades trailed behind her, not able to protect her from the paps like he wanted to, but hoped that this small gesture. Letting her hold his finger, would be enough reassurance.

“PERSEPHONE!” Phylis screamed. Her voice got drowned out in the shouts of the other reporters. Cameras flashed, washing the Ruler of the Gods and the Goddess of Spring out in dizzying white light. 

Others asked, “Do you feel any remorse?”

-”Have you spoken to him since then?” Cameras flashed.

\- “Is this the first time you’ve stepped outside since your punishment?” People pushed each other to get a better angle.

Phyliss waited for the perfect opportunity. Just as Persphone lifted herself up into the back seat of Zeus’ car, she plunged forward, mic in hand, “The goddesses of eternal maidenhood have abandoned you, what do you wish to say to these women?” 

Persephone looked up coldly. Her face betraying no emotion. Zeus pushed on her back but she didn’t get in the car. She stared directly into the camera invading her space. “It’s such a sad thing to see, women who don’t support other women.”

After feeling Hades slip into the backseat, She ducked into the car finally. Zeus slammed the door shut behind her. Persephone released her vines as handcuffs and caught her own smile in the rearview mirror.

  



	7. Useless

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I just haven't been able to muster up a lot to write recently. I wish this chapter was better since you all have waited so long for an update. Next chap is gonna be lit tho. I promise you won't have to wait as long.

“What do you mean, ‘No’?” Persephone scratched the armrest of the stiff wooden chair in front of Hestia. “You haven’t even heard me out.”

“It’s out of the question.” Hestia rolled her eyes and opened up her brand new laptop. 

“It wasn’t a question.” Persephone tried to hide the edge in her voice. The scratch marks on the chair deepened. “I’m withdrawing my application.”

“Look, Kore.” Hestia glanced over her screen and lowered her reading glasses. “Sometimes in life, we get what we want.” Persephone knew this tone of voice. She’d heard it on the lecture series her mother made her watch when she was ten years old. “But other times we don’t get what we want. And the biggest lessons we learn are when we are denied our desires. You don’t learn anything from winning. You don't learn anything from getting what you want. Only in self sacrifice and giving, are you--”

“Hestia.” Persephone closed her eyes, protecting her resolve. “I’m withdrawing my application.”

“No, sweetie. You aren’t.” Hestia looked back at her computer screen. “It’s not your application to withdraw.”

“What?” Persephone blinked her eyes wide open. 

“Do you know what destiny and fate are? They are the things that which we are bound for, no matter how much we run from it. It’s your fate to join us here at TGOEM.”

“Fate?” Persephone raised one single eyebrow in utter disbelief. “So are you saying you know and can interpret the will of the three fates?”

Hestia leaned back cooly. “Well, I wouldn’t go so far—”

“You don’t know anything. And you can’t force me.”

Hestia took the sudden rebellious flower in stride casually. There was no point in her arguments. “It’s not up to you.” 

Persephone stood up, breaking off the arm of the chair with her. “Then who is it up to?” 

* * *

“Demeter, wait inside.” Zeus commanded and slammed the car door behind him. They’d arrived at the palace's east entrance, where the courtrooms are. The car was still running in it’s parked spot by the stairsteps. 

Persephone heard Zeus’s muffled voice mixed with the angry sounds of her mother outside, but it was like they were speaking on the other side of a waterfall. Noise in the background. She was much too preoccupied with the touch of cold metal under her raised fingertips as she dragged it through, what most would presume to be empty air. She looped her finger down, finding a corner of the cold plated metal, then sweeping up gently, as if she were caressing the face behind the helmet. She swirled her hand up until it found the tip of one of the decorative horns. She smiled, only able to imagine what he looked like right now. Hades controlled his breath but it hitched suddenly and Persephone felt the release of hot air on the skin of her shoulder. A bizarre desire took over. She leaned closer, determined to find where the gap in the helmet was for his lips. Just as her fingers glided over the edge, barely touching his invisible and impossibly pillowy lips, Zeus opened the door. 

She froze in place.

“Come on, kiddo. Let’s get this over with.” He looked at his watch and then up into the car. “Uh. You. . . uh. You alright?” He saw Persephone on her knees in the backseat leaned over with her hands in the air. 

“Yup. Just a pump up ritual I have.” She zipped her hands to the side, but her left hand banged against the other horn of the Helm of Darkness. “Ouch.” 

She hopped out of the car. More paparazzi where here this time. But the palace staff had set up barricades, prepared for the media ordeal. Zeus and his “prisoner” made it safely up the palace steps without incident. 

No one saw Hades freeze as Demeter stood up from her seat and cry out dramatically. “Kore, my baby!” It echoed through the court room and everyone turned their heads. Reporters with access to the room were already scribbling away on notepads. Words like “an emotional heart felt reunion between mother and daughter" splattered across their paper.

“Mom.” Persephone returned sadly. Her chest tightened. Everything was so different now. Everything had changed. Including herself. In another life time, she would have run up to her mother, wrapped her hands around her, wanting nothing more to be held by the arms that raised her. Smell the sweet barely on her skin, as she dug her face into the spot on her mother’s chest that had always felt like home. She would have clutched on to her momma and felt safe. But that was before. And she could never go back.

* * *

“Why, dear.” Hestia said calmly, patronizingly. “Your arrangement to join us here in sisterhood was made while you were still in your mother’s womb.”

“My mother?” Persephone wilted, hearing the thing she knew to be true but didn’t want to believe. All those years, making Persephone believe she had the option. Making her think it was her choice. Her idea. 

“Why, yes, of course.” Hestia smiled, but it was the kind of sick smile of a viper before they unhinge their jaw. “She loves you very much and is looking out for you.”

“So, all this talk about needing to do more for my application.”

“Well, I didn’t want to think we would just hand it to you. We still have an image to maintain you know.”

“But I don’t want it.” Persephone dug in her bag and pulled out a check. “Here is the money back. For school. I’m paying TGOEM back.”  
Hestia’s controlled expression faltered. Her eye on the money watching like a hawk. “How did you—?”

“I’m trying to do the right thing, Hestia. I’m not the type of—” Persephone’s jaw dropped as Hestia tore the check into pieces. The fragments floated to the carpet.

“Your money's no good to me. I don’t care about this. I don’t want your money. I want you. You’re a smart girl. You’ll learn so much from this experience. Now, be a good girl and close the door on your way out.” 

Persephone stared at her nervously bouncing leg for a moment then shut her eyes, squeezing them tight like she used to as a kid when she thought there were strange shadows lurking in her room. Three. She began to count. Two. She drew in a breath. One. She opened her eyes. “Why, yes, of course.” Persephone mirrored Hestia’s line back at her like a weapon laced with pretty ribbons. 

* * *

Perspehone said nothing. As Demeter ran up to her, shoving Zeus aside, she held her arms out for her daughter. To return home. 

Hades watched a peculiar array of emotions flicker faster than lightning through Persephone’s face. She said nothing, as Demeter pulled her into a large hug and encircled her within the protection of her embrace. 

Hades looked on as an argument arose the second everyone had sat down at the negotiating table. A back and forth ensued. 

“Stop with this foolishness and release my daughter back to me.”

“Her punishment isn’t over.” 

“This system is grossly misogynistic. If she were a man you would have given her a slap on the wrist and a high five.” 

“Are you calling into question my authority?” 

“I’m calling you out.” 

“With all due respect,” Hera slammed her hands down the table. “I was the one that made Persephone’s sentencing and I was being soft, because she is your daughter. Do not take advantage of our kindness.” Swirly of golden rage crackled around the queen of the gods.

Demeter balked. “You?” 

“Persephone is intact, isn’t she? She’s had more freedom than any before her. If you are spouting inequality, we could get a handle on that and even it up a bit. There’s room besides Prometheus.” 

Hades watched tense, unable to say anything, stuck in a prison of his own making. He was less than the ghosts of his realm here. Unable to be seen, unable to be heard. Just a helpless bystander in this situation. On one hand, rooting for Persephone’s freedom, agreeing for once, with Demeter about the cruel and unusual punishments from his brother. On the other hand, sensing this was not what Persephone wanted at all. Confused, he didn’t know who to stand by. Persephone, saying nothing, was making this rather difficult. What did she want? Who's side was she on? It's as if she didn't care. Or was she concealing something else?

He thought she would be delighted to see her mother again. Cheering her on as she rallied on her behalf. But nothing. No comment or plea. No argument for her own sake. 

He didn’t like this one bit. Part of him wondered if he was being selfish. They’d seemed to have made a connection recently. And now, just as they had started talking again, for her to go away. He chastised himself with these thoughts. It was selfish. She was a prisoner in his realm. 

Right?

He watched the back and forth. At least, she’d led everyone to believe she was a prisoner. But then the things Zeus had said. Is it possible?

“Fine.” Zeus huffed. “Persephone’s sentence will be shortened and she’ll be put on mortal realm parole at the end of a fortnite.” The thunder of his gavel ricocheted seriously through the marble courtroom. While Demeter cheered Hades saw the twitch of defeat in Persephone’s eyes as her new sentence had been agreed upon. _ So that was that. _

Hades cocked his head to the side, the edge of his helmet hitting at his shoulder. Is it possible, she wanted to be —

He shook his head and sighed. Why would anyone want to be in the underworld. He didn’t even want to. He was serving his own kind of sentence. It will be good. Hades told himself. It will be good, for Persephone to be out on top and be in the sunlight again. A goddess like her, with her powers, shouldn’t be hidden in the dark. It would be a crime in and of itself. 

As they made their way back to the Underworld, the idea kept swirling in his mind. Their conversations. Their chess game. Was being in hs realm, where she wanted to be? And now, Demeter, through her business acumen, was she taking her away from. At the end of a fortnite. Zeus kept his promise at least to Persephone. To buy her more time. 

“Well. That was a bit of disaster.” Zeus sighed as he pulled up to the apartment complex. 

Hera rode in the passenger seat this time. They had been silent the whole journey back to the Underworld, only sharing glances back and forth. Until now. "It could have been worse." Hera folded her hands in her lap. "I know Demeter. She could have threatened a lot more to have her way. To be honest, I felt like she showed a lot of weakness."

Persephone pulled herself off of the cold window. “Well. The good news is I don’t think my situation could get any worse.” 

“I wouldn’t hold your breath.” Zeus parked outside the entrance and peered around the parking lot. “I don’t see any paps here.”

“Still need to be careful.” Hera got out first. “They’re always watching.” She threw on a pair of sunglasses and a stern face.

They led her back into the apartment building. Persephone yawned, thinking only about her bed and a nice cup of tea. 

“I got it from here, thanks.” Persephone hopped off the elevator. “Thanks for--.” She waffled, something was wrong. Smoke filled the air. Burnt embers filled Persephone lungs. Heat touched her skin instead of the chill of the underworld she had gotten so accustomed to.

“NO!” Persephone shouted as she ran down the hallway, into the smoke, disappearing behind the grey.

“Persephone. Wait!” Hera called but it was futile. 

“Alright. We have to call Hades. This isn’t good.” Zeus pulled out his phone. The smoke reddened his eyes. While the phone rang, he punched a hole through the side of the building for the smoke to escape. "Who would do this?"

Dammit, Hades cursed silently. He dove into the cover of the smoke as his phone in his pocket rang. He flung his helmet off around the corner.

Hera turned towards the sound of Hades phone. “What?” She peered out, but her eyes burned. Out from the shadows, the smoke swirled mysteriously and Hades appeared, his phone in one hand. He had been silent and useless all day. Watching events pass by like a fly on the wall. He wouldn’t stand by now. 

“Persephone!” Hera shouted and pointed in her direction. But Hades was already running down the hall after her.

Coughing, the goddess of spring held her arm over her mouth and stood in front of her unlocked and open door. Flames had consumed her peace. Fire had eaten at her plants until they shriveled into dust. They scorched the bookshelves and feasted on all the furniture. The only space she could be herself and it was ablaze. Hatred fueled the flame. This was not just some hooligans in the apartment. This was more than a threat. This was an attack.

“No!” Persephone cried out. The most emotion she had shown in months and it was a pain. Without any hesitation, she dove into the fire.

  
  



	8. Out of the Fire: Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Christmas, all! 
> 
> Xoxo Goldie

The limo pulled up to the main entrance. An attendant cracked open the door and the large staircase leading up to the party swung into view. Gold flecks of light from the oil lamps glimmered with a dewey softness off the steps as if they were slick with motlon gold. One ornate shoe clacked pleasingly against the cobblestone driveway. The foot that wore it was impossibly dainty. Immaculately groomed toe polished that matched perfectly with the hem peeking out of the dark blue satin.

The attendant stationed by the stairway came forward with glee. He bowed deeply and offered his hand. “Blessed Aphrodite. Welcome.” A jolt of euphoria passed through him as she accepted his hand through the car door and stood up. “M-May I assist you in anyway?” 

Aphrodite looked him up and down. “Perhaps.” She winked and leaned down closer so that he could feel her breath on his neck. He gulped involuntarily and shut the door behind her. Aphrodite never liked to enter a party with a plus one. She liked to keep her options open. Her breath held promises of deep desire that began to fog up his poor feeble mind. 

“Anything, for you.” He promised.

“Help that pitiful pansy out, will you?” With an austere gesture she pulled away and pointed behind her.

“Oof.” A struggling goddess kicked the door back open that the valet had closed prematurely on her dress. 

The valet bowed curtly. “Sorry, Miss.” He held his hand out and deeply apologised. “I didn’t see you.” 

“Of course not.” Aphrodite pulled out a compact mirror she kept tucked inside her corset. “Not when I’m around.” 

Persephone stepped solidly onto the ground pushing aside the assistance of the attendant.”I’m fine, thank you.” She stood up, self righteously. Her eyebrows set in deep concentration, oblivious to the attendant now.

“Oh, for helen of troy.” Aphrodite rolled her eyes. “You know, it’s not so bad to accept help, or you know, even seek it. The only one with the world on his shoulder’s is Atlas. I don’t see anyone punishing you by carrying things by yourself. Besides. It’s easy to break a fingernail that way.” 

As Aphrodite and Persephone made their way to the staircase, Persephone grimaced, knowing that what must be done. And what burden she must bare alone. 

“Now.” Aphrodite pulled out a tube of lipstick from her cleavage and reapplied. “I don’t know you. You don’t know me. And if anyone asks, I didn’t know you were here and I certainly didn’t help you get here.” 

“Perfect.” Persephone smiled genuinely. “Sounds like a plan to me.” 

Persephone entered by herself, avoiding anyone that turned to see who just arrived. Her heart began to beat faster. The clock announced a new hour. Ice shivered down her spine. Everything was leading up to this.

Persephone found herself in a large room in the old castle part of the palace. Chill air was only counter balanced with a roaring fire place. The clock above the mantel ticked. Persephone drew in a deep breath and sat down on the stone riser before the fire place. 

Her gaze zeroed in on the flickering flames. Mesmerized by the dance. Aphrodite said she wasn’t being punished with the world on her shoulders. But appearances could be deceiving. Just because you can’t see it with the naked eye, doesn’t make it less so. The gods should know this most of all, shouldn’t they? 

She shut her eyes, and the heat burned her skin when she wrinkled it. 

Everything was leading to this. Her world, she alone could bare. First, she had to cast the false worlds of others, for she carried too much of other’s burdens. The fire flickered in her eyes. Cast them off and watch them burn. 

* * *

  
  


Persephone dashed into the fire. Flames engulfed the empty space beside her, reacting harshly to the intruder of their feverish desires. She pulled her coat over her head and breathed through her scarf. “No, no, no.” She muttered. The words caught amongst the threads, just barely holding against the heat. 

Fire had spread to nearly every corner. Eating away at her home. Eating away at her peace. The tears that had dried up long ago inside herself, sprung anew. If only she could douse the fire with them, but the damage had already been done. It couldn’t be too late. She had to--

Her sandals collapsed against the heat. Barefoot she marched deeper into the heat. Fire licking at her clothes. She couldn’t breath. Every ounce of water in the air had dried up. Her eyes blurred. The moisture evaporating every time she blinked. She closed her eyes finally, the pain too much. She fumbled around, but nothing felt right. She had to find it. Everything was ablaze. The light of it, scorching everything in it’s path. But darkness closed in around her. 

She shook her head and stomped her foot. “NO!” Unsure if she had done either. 

“Persephone!” Some voice called to her. “KORE!” A voice beckoning through the smoke. Through the flames. The the torturous heat. 

Hades peeled into the apartment. He had swore to protect Kore. He promised she wouldn’t come to any harm under his protection. Those oaths made long before he swore it to his brother. “KORE!” He yelled. 

Anger rose within him. He felt him shift into the dark vision of his father. Worlds unknown glimmered across his skin and sweat from the fire glossed over them. He swatted at the fire, grabbed a flaming tendril in his hand, as if to choke it. He opened his mouth and uttered a solemn command, “Die.” The fire in the apartment obeyed, The flames bowed in respect and withered away, leaving behind the black scars of their life.

Persephone shuffled forward. Her feet and hands as black as Hades. She fumbled into him, her eyes still shut from the flames. She coughed into her scarf. Like the crumbling wood against the flames, she collapsed into his arms. 

“Kore?” Hades adjusted her in his arms, shifting her weight to his right. “Kore?” Her head limply turned, nuzzled into the crock of his elbow. When her legs failed her, Hades swooped her up. Her arms loosened and Hades saw they clutched around a familiar book.

  
  


Disembodied voices spoke. Emotions swelling. A drumming rang through her. “I will do no such thing!” They were arguing? Tones risen. 

“Of course she has enemies.” A higher voice, but gravely and snide. “You don’t think after what she did, or what happened beforehand. . .”

A confident voice spoke, “No word of this must get out.” 

“No, we need to tell people what we know. And that I’m coming after them.”

“Listen. We’ll take her in.” Hera? 

Persephone blinked and winced. Still feeling the tinge of the flames on her skin. Her fingers touched upon the leather interior of the car.

“What?” A voice that could only be Hades. She could feel his voice by the vibrations come from the wall behind her, still cradled to him. 

“We’ll keep an eye on her until. Well, until she goes back to the mortal realm.”

“But she’s not supposed to. I mean, her sentence.”

“For the love of Gaia.” Zeus muttered. “What, do you want to keep her here all alone?”

“Oh?" Incredulously, Hades balked. "Now you're worried about her being alone. Wasn't it you that put her in solitary confinement?" Zeus tried to back track but Hades cut him off. "I swore an oath to protect her. To you no less.” 

“Well, while you’re out vetting vengeance on this mystery arsonist, who will be taking care of her? You have no staff, Hades. You have no servants, or wait staff, or guards.”

“I have Cerberus.” Hades retorted. 

Zeues rolled his eyes but Hades wouldn’t give up. “Come on, besides, those servants, and wait staff, and guards, those could be double agents. I wouldn’t trust them, least of all with Persephone.” 

She would have given anything to speak up for herself and tell them she didn’t need protection, if she could find her voice amidst the dry cracked desert in her throat. She opened her mouth, but a rush of cold air made a mockery of her parched mouth. Hades shifted her weight again. She felt the hands of Hades again support her back and pick her up. 

“Thanks for the ride.” Hades saluted his brother. “Now get the fuck out of my kingdom.”

  
  



	9. Easy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Last time:  
After coming from her sentencing rearrangements, (where she is to return to her mother soon) Persephone's apartment caught on fire. Hades literally killed the flames. It was pretty hot. (pun intended)
> 
> Hera and Zeus offered to look after the girl in the interim, but annoyed Hades decided to keep Persephone with him until her mother came for her.

The Eyriness were many things to many people. Be it righteous goddess of fury and vengeance, or Hades own mercenaries, enforcers of pain, bringers of justice. Right now, they were punishment bringers. The noble job of seeing out the verdict. They’d been tasked with relocating the newly convicted felon to her new arrangements. 

“Home sweet home.” Alecto opened the door to the apartment. 

Peresphone peered in curiously. The wood flooring was warped, but she imagined how fun they would be to slide on in her socks. The walls had a few dings, but she could already see how artwork would breath warmth into the space. She crept forward, cautiously to the threshold then paused. 

“Here.” Alecto handed her a key, it glinted off the flickering overhead light in the hallway.

Persephone eyed the key like a bag of snakes. Speaking of which, Alecto’s hair appraised Persephone curiously. Tiny tongue reaching out to understand the goddess of spring. When they couldn’t, they curled back up into a high ponytail and closed their eyes. 

“I’m a prisoner, am I not?” Persephone folded her arms over her chest. “Why would you give a prisoner a key?” 

Megeara stepped forward before Tisiphone could say something mean. “What— are these furnishings not to your liking?”

Persephone peered back into the apartment like it might disappear at any moment. “Oh, no. It’s. . . it’s too nice. I-I wasn’t expecting a place of my own.” She gulped. A place of her own. Her heart beat a little faster. 

“It is a bit nice.” Tisiphone had a face betraying no emotion. “We could always take you down to Tartarus if you--”

“Stop.” Meg pushed her sister. “Persephone, just go on.”

“But I don’t understand. I’m to be in solitary confinement.”

Meg and Alecto shared a knowing glance. Alecto stepped forward and placed the key in Persephone’s palm. “Don’t question this housing again during your stay with us in the Underworld.”

“I really am to live here?” Persephone started to get hopeful. A place of her own. Sure, it wasn’t pretty. Sure, it wasn’t under good circumstances. She gripped the key to her chest and began to hope.

As she stepped through the threshold, Tisiphone leaned in. A huge toothy grin spread across her dark face. “No prison cell is as perfectly crafted as the one we make in our own mind. Enjoy your stay.”

Meg waved timidly before they closed the door and Persephone was alone.

Alone in her own place. 

She’d known a thing or too about being trapped. Of cells both real and unreal. The goddess of spring sighed and laid down on the old warped wood, staring up at the ceiling. Tisiphone was right. Prisoners made their own prisons. And Persephone would never be a prisoner again. 

  
  


* * *

  
  


A red eye popped open in the dark. Earlier, he had heard through his light sleep, the door opening, no doubt Cerberus sneaking out to try to find some left-overs in the rubbish bin. That wasn’t enough to rouse Hades, but now he sank to his right, into the center of the bed towards the massive dog curled up at the other end taking up nearly all the space left. His tail brushed against the whole of Hades's side.

“Hey.” Hades nudged his magical dog with his foot. “No. No-uh. No big—” He paused trying to find the word in his sleepiness. “No big… ugh, come on Cerb, power down now or get off the bed.” His voice was low and gravely, thick with heavy sleep.

Cerberus didn’t move.

Hades dug his knee in Cerberus’ side. “Move.” 

The fur on Cerberus’s back bristled and he curled tighter. A low growl rumbled through the mattress, quietly though as if a whisper of a rumble.

Hades fidgeted up out of bed, grumbling under his breath as he cast off his sheets. “Cerberus. I said get down or size down.” He marched over to where Cerberus’ large mass took up the three quarters of the bed. 

One large eye tracked the King of the Underworld’s movements but he still didn’t move. 

“What?” Hades folded his arms across his chest. After everything that happened the previous day, he didn’t need this. 

Cerberus watched Hades closely. 

“Ugh.” Hades clapped his palm to his face, resigned. “Cerberus, are you okay?” This was extremely odd behavior. Something was up. 

Sensing the shift, Cerberus began to uncurl a little bit, moving his head from the center of his body. A splash of pink revealed itself. Persephone snuggled closer into Cerberus’ fur.

Hades jaw dropped. In his frustration with Cerberus he’d nearly forgotten about the young spring goddess sleeping in his guest room this evening. When his mouth started working again he brought his hands together in front of his nose. “Cerberus, why is Persephone on my bed?” 

Cerberus stretched his leg off the bed, causing Persephone to adjust herself automatically, shivering at the cold now touching her skin. Her cheeks were stained with tear tracks, dried and lacy like the wings of a dragonfly. She was bundled up in the sheets of the guest bed, the corners of which were wet with Cerberus' slobber. He'd brung her here.

Of course. The poor thing had a horrible day. An odd and exhausting day. The past still haunting her. 

Hades clutched his hand to his chest and pouted. “Well. Well uh. She’s cold.” He approached her cautiously. She was wearing one of his old work shirts. Her skin was baby fresh and clean after she bathed after supper, but she still smelled a bit like smoke, sweet and dangerous. 

Cerberus loosened again, so that Persephone’s body was exposed to Hades and he could pick her up. Though – as if she were the gates of the kingdom – Cerberus watched protectively as Hades picked up the pink goddess in his arms. She folded softly into his chest, easily as she had before. As if this was familiar. As if this might be normal.

With an odd pained expression, Hades carried her from the bottom to the side of the bed. Cerberus slowly clawed down from the bed and then peeled back the covers between a soft nip so that Hades could smoothly lay Persephone underneath. The King replaced the covers over her softly, making sure the chilled air had no avenue to disrupt her slumber. She sighed into the pillow, worry lines relaxing as she settled back into bed. 

Hades brought his hands back up to his chest, not wanting to watch her, but not really wanting to look away. Cerberus sized down to a normal dog and sat next to where he stood. “What do I do now?” He whispered out the side of his mouth before a yawn interrupted him. It was late. He should probably try to get some more sleep. His eyes flicked to the other side of the bed. He squinted testing his moral judgment in this moment. It would be easy, like her head on his chest, to just. . . go back to bed. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was actually one of the key scenes I had in mind for this story. I just thought Cerberus bringing bb Persephone up to Hades when she needed it was so dang cute. Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoy this little update.  
xoxo  
-Goldie


	10. Ready

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Last time:  
The felon, Persephone, was relocated to Hades' home after her living arrangements went up in flame.  
Hades awoke to find Persephone squished between a protective Cerberus on his bed and wrestled with what to do now.

“Apollo.” She greeted him coldly. Her dress dazzling in the twinkling lights above them.

“My.” Yellow eyes looked her over in a way that left her feeling stripped and vulnerable. “You’re talking to me again? Let me guess. Have you reconsidered my offer?” Apollo grinned in a way some unfortunate nymph may find, charming, but it made Persephone’s blood boil. 

“I have.” She swallowed down her passion. This wasn’t about him, she reminded herself. This wasn’t about him. 

* * *

  
  


_ Her hands rested on a warm door handle. It fit in her palm like a glove or an extension of herself. She’d been trapped in the greenhouse for so long, how had she not seen this door before? She’d searched every pane. She’d pressed on every window. Her heavy breath had fogged up the greenhouse from the inside, ensuring that the plants would thrive while she suffocated. _

_ When did it appear? She twisted her wrist and felt the latch catch as her breath did. And the door opened. Bringing with it fresh, crisp, cool air. No longer stifled from the humidity of her own panic. _

_ She breathed and she hadn’t realized she had been holding her breath. _

_ She wavered, looking back into the greenhouse. A home she had made for herself. _

_ A hand replaced the door handle. It still fit warmly and perfectly in her hand. She gripped it tight. _

_ “You’re nearly free, young one.” _

_ She felt a tear run down her cheek and she released his clasp. “It’s not what you think.” _

_ He called for her. Beckoning her to stay. _

_ “I’m sorry.” She stumbled over her heels as she backed into the greenhouse and closed the door. Her reflection swung back to her, overlayed across him. There was fire in her eyes. _

She awoke with a start into a dark room. “Dammit, Morpheus.” She groaned into her pillow. She was sure these dreams were a trick by the god of dreams. She’d pissed off many gods, but wasn’t sure what his beef was. 

Then she felt a sigh, that was not her own. At first she thought the deep escape of breath had come from her depths, but then she felt air on blow on the strands of hair bunched up at her forehead. 

She held her own breath, quickly running through the events of last night in her mind like trying to focus a kaleidoscope. When that failed, before she panicked, she quickly ran through a list of truths about her current situation. 

She was surrounded in warmth down to her toes. The air was cool, but there were two flat sheets, a comforter, and a quilt on top of her. The sheets were cool to the touch and as soft as a rose petal. Gray, or perhaps blue in the light, she couldn’t tell. 

She adjusted her waist ever so slightly, and the mattress followed her effortlessly, but cushioned her weight in all the right places. 

She took in a deep breath and smelled fresh linen and something else she couldn’t quite place but knew immediately. She’d smelled it before. 

Her heart beat faster.

The guest room? She looked up where the tapestry she’d noticed her first night had hung. No tapestry. But a display case with a velvet rod. Empty. The glass door swung open. Her stomach twisted in knots at the familiarity. In her head flashed the open door of the greenhouse. 

Where the walls of the guest room had been was a much more ornate and detailed part of the room she couldn’t appreciate yet in the darkness.

Nope. She gulped. Not the guest room.

Another deep breath. His chest rose so much it moved the sheets away from her. Warmth radiated from the other side of the bed. 

Steeling herself, Persephone carefully turned towards him, like a moth to flame. “Aidoneus?” She reached her hand out to the gentle rising and falling. She trembled as she pressed her palm against his chest. 

In between her fingers, black fur tufted. Ceberus groaned and stretched his four limbs, pressing a large paw into Persephone’s shoulder. His head perfectly centered on his masters pillow. Lazily, he looked at her in the dark and licked her arm still outstretched towards him. 

“Oh.” She gasped and stifled a ricochet of laughter. “Good morning, Cerberus.” In response, Cerberus licked her face. “Thank you.” She said through closed lips and a scrunched expression. “Yes, yes, thank you.” She laughed as Cerberus continued his wet affection. “Goodness, this wasn’t really the morning kiss I might have hoped for, but welcome all the same.” 

Cerberus gave her a dubious look then hopped off the bed. He stood straight and pointed his nose. With his front right paw lifted and his tail as straight as Artemis’s arrow. 

Following his line of sight, she saw Hades -- Aidoneous, folded over awkwardly on a chaise couch, a thin blanket wrapped around him, with the skyline of his city behind him. It seemed odd. This was now the second time she’d be waking up to find him on a nearby couch. She felt a wave of deja vu wash over her. It wrangled down to her fingers, and she stretched them uncomfortably, trying to remember the memory of being here, in his bedroom, before. 

Cerberus pressed his head into the back of her knees and huffed, meaningfully. His blue eyes conveying a message she could almost interpret. 

She stepped forward towards Hades, obligingly. She saw his arm dangling by his side, and she immediately wanted to wrap her fingers around his. A burning question singed on her like a brand. Would his hand feel. . . like the handle of the door in her dream? 

He woke up bleary eyed. Blinking back a surprisingly dreamless sleep. Then the color seeped back into his vision. “Am I dreaming?” He said in a low graveled voice. No, he knew it immediately, because his voice had racked through a coarse throat. He wasn’t dreaming.

“Good morning, Aidoneus.” Persephone came into focus, a flower opening up into a goddess. 

He gulped. 

“I -- I tried to figure out your coffee maker. I think I got it.” She handed him a small espresso cup. He could see the grounds in the murky liquid but he didn’t care. 

“Thank you. Good morning, Kore.” 

She dipped her head.“I’m also making scones. They should be ready in any moment now.”

“Scones?”

“Yes, and my own strawberry jam. Grew the strawberries myself.” She beamed. When Hades didn’t say anything she rambled on. “Croissants are my speciality, but I prefer to have a couple of days for that. A-and I wasn’t sure when you would wake up, so-- ” 

“Oh. Well, maybe I’ll get to try some of your croissants one day.” 

Persephone blushed. 

Hades tweaked his head to the side, realizing how strange that sounded. Before he could stop it the thought of Persephone's buttery croissants wouldn't leave his mind.

Before he could reply Persephone sat down next to him. “So, I was wondering. . ." She started hesitantly. "How exactly I woke up here.” 

This time Hades had the deja-vu. “You have a strange penchant for waking up in my house without prior knowledge.”

“It’s becoming a bad habit.” 

“A bad habit you’re good at.” 

“Not for lack of trying.” She bit her lip. “I briefly remember Cerberus whining at my bedroom door in the middle of the night.”

Hades slapped the side of his face with his right hand. “Cerberus. Have you been a bad dog?”   
  
Cerberus perked his ears up and growled.

“On the contrary. I think he was trying to comfort me. He’s a very good boy.” Cerberus padded over to her, his butt shaking along with his tail. “Yes, you are.” She confirmed it with a good jowl scratch. 

“Well, then.” Hades grinned as he watched her pet his longest companion. Truly, he’d never seen Cerberus take to anyone else. Most people he tolerated, ignored or chewed their heads off. Much like Cerberus’ master himself.

“I’m sorry for displacing you.” She looked back at the bed. “I didn’t realize.” 

“It’s alright.”

“Not worried about your appearance,are you?” She tossed him a wry arched eyebrow. “Giving your bed up to a prisoner, while you sleep on the couch?”

“I won’t say anything if you won’t.” 

They both grinned. 

A beat passed. 

“There is something I’ve been meaning to ask you about.” 

Persephone fidgeted nervously. She knew this would happen sooner or later. And she knew she’d lose him. When things went back to normal, he’d remember his station. And she hers. 

“I was wondering why you have this?” He reached up and grabbed something off a nearby shelf, carelessly placed as if he’d just set it down recently. He placed a worn book into the palms of her hands, the edges slightly blackened with smoke. The title glistened with a worn silvery script. “Resurrection and the Methodology of Necromancy.” 

Hades watched her carefully. “You know the practice of necromancy is illegal in all three realms.”

“Yes.” Persephone nodded, careful of her reactions now. 

“And did you know that this book has been banned and the release of this information is punishable in court?”

“Yes.” 

“And I take it you knew that I have the only known copy.” He didn’t say it in an accusing voice. 

“Yes.” 

“And you stole it.” It wasn’t a question.

“Borrowed it.” Persephone countered. 

“Why?” Hades searched in her eyes for an explanation, painfully aware of his own biases. He was many things, but Hades King of the Underworld was not a fool. 

A buzzer rang through the hallway. 

“That’ll be the scones.” Persephone straightened up at the sound of the oven timer. “They’re ready.” 

The scones were ready. But was she?

  
  



	11. Truths

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously on Solitaire:  
After rescuing Persephone from her burning apartment building where she was carrying out her solitary confinement, Hades confronted the goddess of spring about a dangerous book she stole from his library.

Kore finished up her school work early, running through her problems for another double check before handing it to her mother. _ If a tree nymph can harvest 3 trees every hour, and a river nymph can guide 4 logs to town every 3 hours, and each log can be sold for 4 drachma, how many drachma can be earned over five days? _

_ Urushiol is a sticky resin found on what type of plant that causes what kind of rash? _

_The isle of Sicily is a bed of growth due to its temperate climate all year long, which makes harvest possible how many months out of the year? _

She checked her answers again and nodded to herself, a bubbling kind of feeling fizzed in her chest. “Momma!” She ran with the heels digging into the dirt towards the majestic woman in the fields with her hair braided down her back. “Momma. I finished early.” 

“Amazing, little poppy.” A green hand full of warmth from the days sunshine petted the tressed tucked behind her pink ear. “Let’s have a look.” 

She waited an agonizingly long time, what felt like an era into itself, as her mother scanned and appraised her answers.. 

“No errors. Very good.” Her mother smiled in a way that felt like a jolt of love into Kores veins. “Enjoy the rest of the day.” 

“Actually momma. I was hoping, instead, since I finished early, if you could finally show me. . . show me some of how to use my powers.”

Her mother’s smile froze on her face like a marble statue, captured in time. “Perhaps if you finish early again tomorrow.”

Kore stepped forward again, a small, bold show of force. “Actually, momma. This was today and tomorrow’s work. I finished it both. And I’ve done the morning chores. And I’ve checked on Lucretia’s ill daughter and made sure they have food for the week. And I know that you’re ahead of schedule in shipments so you have a light day today. Lucretia told me so.”

Demeter stood like an impervious mountain before her daughter. “Well, you’ve certainly done your homework.” 

“Yes, momma.” Big pink pools of pleading in Kore’s eyes. “Please.”

“It’s too difficult.” Her mother said decisively. 

“I’ll work hard momma.” Kore grabbed her mother’s arm, refusing to give up. Not anymore. Every attempt had failed this fair, but this one wouldn’t. “I’ll take my time. I’ll practice. I’ll get it right, just please, momma. Please show me how to use my powers. I wanna be like you.”

Demeter’s demeanor changed to softness like the breeze blowing through a heavy field of wheat in the glow of warm sun. “My dear. My darling. Of course. Anything for you. Let me wrap a few things up and I’ll meet you in the southern fields in a few minutes.” 

Persephone threw her fists into the air then calmly nodded. “Thank you, momma. I’ll be waiting.”

Demeter turned around and sighed, bringing her hand up to her forehead. 

“She doesn’t know?” Her trusted tree nymph, Leona stood just passed the door, overhearing everything. 

Demeter only shook her head.

“And are you going to tell her?” 

  
  


* * *

  
_ What am I going to tell him? _

Persephone shuffled to the kitchen with Hades at her heels and Cerberus leading the way. 

The ringing from the oven timer rang throughout her. Times up. Times up. Times up. 

She tried to see herself with an eagle eye, walking down the dark hall’s with the King of the Underworld in his house. Everything at this point felt like a game of house of cards. And this next conversation would be the breath that blew it all down.

Hades tore bits of bread into small confetti sized pieces. The buttery layers lightly greased his fingertips. He fidgeted in a type of anxiousness that Persephone all too well understood. “I just don’t understand.” He eyed the book of resurrection on the table, trying to fit a puzzle piece into a picture that wasn’t ready for it yet. Frustrution rippled through him and the goddess of spring knew it was only warranted. “Persephone, you’ve been in my kingdom for months now. I’ve been sworn to protect you. I trusted you.”

“Protect me?” Persephone winced. Her eyes cut downward as she finished putting jam on her scone. “I see.” Her voice lowered and she swallowed something down that wasn’t edible. “Well, who’s the fool now. You knew who I was. Why would you trust me?” She held her words like daggers. And for a moment she thought perhaps her blades were too sharp and, like she always had, had unfortunately hit her intended target as she planned. 

Hades took a deep breath and stared down into his lap. 

Now she’d really gone and done it. 

“Don’t think you can scare me off so easily, Miss Proserpina.” Hades said while scratching Russel’s ears who had scotted under the table and was waiting for food to fall. 

“I’m only speaking the truth.” Persephone hoped he would listen and desperately hoped he had deaf ears. 

“But not your own.” Hades grinned. 

“I’m dangerous, your majesty.” She pressed. Always bold. Always stepping forward just a little more. “You’ve seen it first hand.” She paused long enough for effect. “You should know better than to trust me. I’m a liability. Surely a man of your business acumen would understand.”

“You know one thing I’ve learned while raising stray dogs, is that the ones that bite are usually just--”

Persephone tittered. “Just. . . scared? Wounded?”

Hades bit his lip. He shouldn’t have gone with the dog metaphor. 

“I see.” Persephone leaned back. “You have a penchant for letting strays in your life. Those with worse fortunes than yourself. And you what? Try to rescue them?” 

“This isn’t about dogs.”

“Then why did you bring them up?” 

“You’re . . .” He faltered. 

“I’m not one of your pet projects, Aideoneus.” Persephone stared into his eyes. The words coming from her lips like a secret spell. “I’m not some wounded animal for you to exercise your hero complex over. I’m not seeking redemption in your arms. You can’t pretend to be a refuge when you can’t even stand it here.” 

“You’re doing it again.” His fist tightened. “You’re pushing me away.” 

“You don’t know me like you think you do.” 

“Because you won’t let me.” He never raised his voice though Persephone rose her own. “And I see myself when I look at you. I know what. . . I don’t know what’s going on, but, Kore.” He paused. “I can _ feel _ you. And I’ve felt that too.”

Persephone twisted in her chair. “Oh?” Her voice was dry, lacking any kind of umf. 

Hades reached his hand across the table.”I know what it looks like when someone is out of control.” She tried to flinch back away from his grasp, but he wasn’t having that. “You’d have everyone believe that you’re a criminal. That you’re dangerous.” He knelt beside her, holding her hands in his. “I don’t know what happened that night, but I know you didn’t do it.” 

___________________________________________________________________

“Alright.” Kore bent forward and grabbed her toes, then stretched from side to side with her arms above her head. “I’m ready. I’m gonna turn a cat into a bird. And I’m gonna move through the ether. I’m gonna turn weapons into loaves of bread. Oh, I can turn into a horrible looking old lady and send humans on dangerous item quests, or help girls who’ve been abused by turning into. . . I don’t know someone they can look at without killing them. You can even teach me how to make ambrosia.” She listed off all the things she’d want to do. “I’m gonna help so many people, mama.” 

Demeter stood next to her daughter. “Hold out your hand.”

She raised her palm up obediently.

“Now, create a circle of white flowers.” 

Kore frowned but she obliged. Without even a thought the sprouts began to appear. 

“Now what? Do I get inside and say some kind of summoning spell for a guardian to protect a scroll of evil intentions?” Kore gasped. “I won’t have to learn any evil incantations do I? Wait, do I have to use incantations or can I just say what I want since I’m a god? Do you say spells or do you just. . . make it happen?”

“My darling.” Demeter kissed Kore’s cheek. “You have such an active imagination.” 

“Sorry mama. I’ll let you continue.” 

“There’s nothing to continue. That’s the lesson for today.” Demeter straightened up. “You did well.” 

“But.” Persephone stared at the ground. “But. . . that’s just flowers.”

“That’s your power, sweetie.”

Kore’s face faltered. “That’s. . . already. That’s not what I meant. Any old flower nymph could do that. I’m a god, right? So I can do all the things you can.”

Demeter turned her back. “I come from a long line of primordial gods. I have great power with their ichor in my veins.”

“And that ichor runs through mine as well, right mama?”

“Did I ever tell you how you were conceived?”

Kore rolled her eyes. “Only a hundred times. You were walking through an orchard one day and you felt it was time. You felt the breath of motherhood in the breeze so you laid down and stared up through the leaves and then when you looked over there was a peculiar flower. A pink flower that cried. And you plucked me from the ground.”

“Yes, my love.” Demeter turned back to Kore with a determined face. “And from that ground comes your power.”

Kore’s smile faded as she took in her mother’s words. “You mean?” She fell to the ground and splayed her hands out behind her, feeling the dirt between her fingers. “What do you mean?”

Demeter knelt down and wiped a stray hair on Kore’s forehead. “You did not inherit my powers or the powers of my bloodline. You’re weak. You do have power and you are a god, but you only have dominion in this alone.” Demeter plucked one of the white flowers. 

“But.” Kore’s eyes began to water. “But you’ve always made sure I was doing the best. You’ve always pushed me to excel and to do better and to not make any mistakes.”

“Because if I cannot have a powerful daughter, I’d hope she’d be a bright one. I keep pushing you in the ways I know you can excel. Why do you think I’ve avoided this? I don’t want to waste either of our time. We have better things we can be focusing on, but you shouldn't waste another thought on powers you simply do not possess.”

Huge tears rolled down Persephone’s cheeks. She’s weak. Kore sniffed. She’s powerless. Kore could feel a tear track all the way down to her chin. She’s a god grounded like a common nymph, with power no better than a magician pulling hares out of a hat. 

"You're very pretty dear, but unfortunately without any power, that leaves you incredibly vulnerable." Her mother tried to wipe her tears away. “This doesn’t mean you can’t make a difference. It just means that I’ll need to keep a closer eye on you okay? You can’t protect yourself like you’ll need out in the world. It’ll be okay. You’ll just need to keep your head down and stay with me. We’ll be happy. You’ll want for nothing, my dear. I'm here for you. I love you.”

“Just. . . so just this?” Persephone curled her finger in the dirt and a thorny bed of roses sprung forth.

“And it’s beautiful and it’s enough.”

Though Demeter let her know this didn’t mean she was loved any less, a piece of that little girl died that day. 

“Come on, Kore. Let’s get lunch, huh?” Demeter watched the roses wither and hurried her daughter out of the field.

_______________________________________________________________

The scone was cold now but Persephone turned towards it, retrieving her hand from Hades’ grasp. "You shouldn't be so close to me." 

“I don’t think you hurt anyone that night.” Hades remembered seeing Persephone there, playing with Hebe happily. He remembered walking out onto the terrace and viewing the garden below. 

“Is that so?” Her eyes cut up to him. 

“You’re many things, Kore. But you are not. . . cruel and you wouldn’t use your powers for something. . .”

Kore stood up, tired of this conversation as it spun in circles, no one giving up their end. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe you’re wrong, but it doesn’t matter. I believe you’re getting sidetracked, your majesty. You wanted to know why I stole the book of necromancy. And the truth is—” She took in a deep breath.

“You’re trying to resurrect someone?” Hades assumed. His mind fluttered to thoughts of young mortal men that may have stirred feelings with her in her time on the mortal realm. Resurrection really wasn’t all that complicated if you know the right people and are in the right places. Especially for a god. If Persephone wanted to, she could probably just announce it, and it would be done, which further confused Hades as to why she needed so much research into the practice.

“No.” Persephone shook her head. “I’m trying to undo one." Hades raised his eyebrow, not expecting that. And certainly not prepared for the sentence to follow. Absently, she fiddled with the bandage on her arm. "But apparently someone doesn’t want me to.”

__________________________________________________________________

“So?” The tree nymph, Leona, handed Demeter a cup of cool water. “How’d it go?” 

“It went well.”

She seemed surprised. “Did it?” 

“Oh don’t sound so surprised.” Demeter spoke against the side of the cup, listing it vibrate against her teeth in an unsettling and yet pleasant way. 

“What did you tell her?” 

“The truth.” Demeter took a grateful sip of water and sat down, gazing upon her land as the sun set. Purple and orange hues danced together in the sky with a misty dark shadow following after their light as if to swallow them all up in a sprinkled dark blanket. 

“And what is the truth?” 

“That she should stay by my side.”

Leona frowned and followed the skies to the horizon. That was just a way of saying she lied to the girl. 

  
  



End file.
